When we first get married, we have a basic idea of how we want to decorate our home. We have a particular theme for our decor such as contemporary or country, and we try hard to turn our home into the picture perfect atmosphere. Unfortunately, life doesn’t always adhere to our desires and so we’re more likely than not to settle for what we get.

Years will pass by and many of our inanimate objects will come and go and then we reach that time in our lives when we decide to toss out all the old stuff and finally get the things that we’ve always dreamed about.  And then finally it begins to happen and that picture perfect decor begins to fall into place.

And then as we look around we realize there are many treasures hidden in amongst our new decor that don’t fit in, that have little tangible value and that are physically less perfect than the rest of the decor. And yet, we don’t throw them out. Why not?

Because these things are our treasures. They are gifts that have been given to us over the years and they hold a great amount of sentimental value that is truly worth more to us than all the great decorations that adorn our home. They’re artwork that our children made over the years, pottery vases that are crooked and unevenly painted, stuffed animals that we’ve always wanted to take apart and sew together properly, candles that we haven’t yet realized what they’re supposed to represent.

Each one of these treasures were given to us from the heart. Someone loved us enough to work as hard as they could to give us something that they thought would make us happy. They don’t match our decor and don’t even blend in, but each one is special to us, and each one has its own story.

Home is where the heart is. It’s the one place in this world where we find peace and joy, safety and protection – and love.  It’s the one place where we can go and know that the Lord is there with us. And these treasures remind us of the love that we’ve shared with those who mean so much to us. So, we spread them throughout our home, and in our mind’s eye they fit in perfectly because they are gifts from the heart.

The expensive decor is nice to look at but these treasures hold an irreplaceable value in our heart. It’s not so much the physical things that are our treasures even though we cherish them. It’s the meaning behind them that gives them such a value as in, who gave it to us and why, and its the love that came with the gift that gives us the warm, fuzzy feeling.

These objects bring out the love and the joy that is in us because it sifts through all the tangible things that this world holds important and it brings to light the truth, and that is the love that Jesus has for us. And He shares this love with our children, our parents, our family and friends so that we can realize that the only real treasure we will ever have is love.

Life takes us through the bad times and the good times, and when we look at these things we’re reminded that nothing that this world can offer can come close to the real treasure that’s in our hearts, and that treasure is love.

“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.”  … Matthew 6:20